Sadotra said that “nationalist forces” in the state cannot forget the facts of history and will continue to observe this day as the “Black Day”, until government abolishes holiday.YOGESH SAGOTRA Jammu | Posted : Jul 12 2018 1:26AM | Updated: Jul 12 2018 1:01AM

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Saying that commemoration of July 13 as Martyrs Day tantamounts to “rubbing salt on the wounds of the minority community of Kashmir”, Jammu High Court Bar Association (JHCBA) has opposed observance of the day as holiday in memory of the people, who had been killed by the army of then Maharaja in 1931.

The JHCBA on Wednesday said that it has decided not to observe holiday on July 13 and instead organise protest demonstrations against government on the same day in premises of Jammu High Court to raise demand for “abolishing” this holiday.

“The observance of the July 13 as the so-called Martyrs’ Day by the political structures of the state is tantamount to rubbing salt to the festering wounds of the minority community of Kashmir,” said Prem Sadotra, the general secretary of JHCBA.

“Observing July 13 as martyr’s day and public holiday is insult for peace loving nationalist forces. In fact on this day in year 1931 some anti social elements laid the basis for present day’s atmosphere in the valley by inciting the people for communal violence,” he added.

Sadotra said that “nationalist forces” in the state cannot forget the facts of history and will continue to observe this day as the “Black Day”, until government abolishes holiday.

He said the bar association has also decided to organise a camp to provide free legal aid to the needy people on July 13, in furtherance of its decision to observe this day as working day.

Some KP organisation and Jammu based outfits from past few years have started to oppose the observance of July 13 as Martyrs’ Day and instead call it a “Black Day”.

During the past three years of PDP-BJP coalition government, the Bhartiya Janta Party, breaking from the tradition, stayed away from visiting the Martyrs’ Graveyard in Srinagar.